Get to know the Judges

Our panel of judges includes industry leaders, innovators, and trailblazers in CX and technology.

Meet the Head Judges

The Leader of the Year Award

A highly influential freelance CX consultant, Ian advises leading companies on CX strategy, measurement, improvement and employee advocacy techniques and solutions. To date, Ian has worked in 61 countries across multiple industries including retail, financial services, logistics, manufacturing, telecoms and pharmaceuticals deploying CX tools and methodologies. An internationally renowned speaker and blogger on the subject of CX, Ian was also the first to become a CCXP (Certified Customer Experience Professional) Authorised Resource & Training Provider and is the chair and host of CX awards programmes around the world.

The Employee Experience Award

Diane Magers is an international speaker, passionate best-selling author, recognised thought leader, and advisor on Experience Management (XM). She is a founding member and former Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) CEO. She is a CCXP and holds an MBA and an MS in psychology. She is also the founder and CEO of Experience Catalysts, an experience management advisory and coaching firm.

The Rising Star Award

Described as an experimental CX thought leader and visionary, Adrian Swinscoe is a best-selling author, Forbes contributor, speaker, investor, advisor and aspirant CX Punk.

He has been growing and helping develop customer-focused large and small businesses for over 25 years now.

His clients have included brands such as Adobe, Apple, Costa Coffee, ING, Intercontinental Hotel Group, KFC, KPMG, ING, Lloyds, Harper Collins, Médecins Sans Frontières, Nespresso, Olympus, Pearson, Philips, Sky and Zoom, as well as numerous tech vendors and many smaller and medium-sized businesses.

The Responsible AI Award

Shameem is a senior GTM leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and a recognised expert in Customer Experience, AI and digital transformation. With deep expertise spanning contact centres, AI and customer experience, she works with organisations to turn emerging technologies into strategic opportunities that deliver measurable business and customer outcomes.
Her experience spans go-to-market strategy, market expansion and technology adoption, with a particular focus on how organisations can use AI and innovation to transform the customer experience. She is also a strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, and for creating greater opportunities for women in technology.
As a judge, Shameem brings a valuable perspective at the intersection of CX, technology and business transformation — with the commercial insight to assess not only what is innovative, but what creates meaningful and lasting impact for customers, people and organisations.

The Ally of the Year Award

Representing the brain and constantly asking the "human" questions very few of us think about in customer and employee experience, Sandra Thompson is an "empathy expert" (a title bestowed on her) and a scholar and teacher of psychology and neuroscience in the customer and employee space.
Sandra designs and delivers learning experiences, she lectures, she gives inspiring keynote speeches, occasionally coaches, and she's written a practical guide to become more emotionally intelligent.
On a mission to create greater connection, she's partnered with an amazing human to run EQ and communication programmes.

The Experience Design Award

Megs Armor is an internationally experienced design and CX leader with 12 years’ experience across Deloitte Digital, EY, Accenture Song and Lloyds Banking Group. She has built and scaled design practices, led teams of more than 30 designers, partnered with founders to take products from 0–1, and coached design and CX leaders globally.
At EY and Lloyds Banking Group, Megs led large-scale design teams delivering omnichannel services used by more than 8 million customers. She has also embedded enterprise-wide journey management systems and CX frameworks, helping organisations connect customer needs with product, design and business outcomes at scale.
Megs has also partnered with early-stage founders to design, build and launch products across fintech and AI. She is a strong advocate for a new generation of design leaders who combine strategic leadership with hands-on building — using AI to raise the quality of design and create experiences that put customers at the heart of business decisions.

The Customer Champion Award

Ejieme Eromosele is an award-winning Customer Experience and Customer Success executive who has led customer programs for Fortune 500 companies, The New York Times, and startups. She specializes in customer-led growth, building customer success programs, and expanding global operations. As Founder of Success in Black, she champions Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Customer Success. A board member, speaker, and angel investor, she advises pre-seed and seed-stage startups. She holds a BA in Economics and an MBA in Strategy & Global Business from NYU.

The Industry Impact Award

Head of Consulting for award winning Lexden CX (2007). Recognised as CX Today's 2024 CX Leader's CX Influencer of the Year and 2024 CX Culture Champion of the Year. Winner of International CX Awards GOLD for B2B Marketing. Founder of the Customer Experience World Games Foundation.
Helping CX leaders and teams elevate their customer experience excellence to be a leading business practice through customer centricity in their organisations.

The Customer Insight and Intelligence Award

Zack Hamilton is a distinguished retail and eCommerce strategist renowned for his transformative leadership as Chief Experience & Strategy Officer. With over two decades of deep retail expertise, Zack has become a pivotal figure in shaping the future of customer experience, employee experience, and post-purchase experience strategies for global brands. As an eCommerce visionary, Zack has been instrumental in developing and implementing digital-first strategies that seamlessly blend online and offline retail experiences. His innovative approaches have consistently driven significant improvements in customer acquisition, conversion rates, and lifetime value across digital platforms. Zack has advised over 200 retail brands worldwide, including industry giants like Walmart, Macy's, and SEPHORA, on creating cohesive omnichannel experiences.
He’s also author of the Experience Performance System TM and host of the ‘Unf*cking your CX’ podcast.

The Customer Experience Transformation Award

Olga Potaptseva is a globally recognised strategist specialising in customer-informed operating models for large organisations across Europe and the Middle East. A Top 15 Global CX Influencer, she partners with C-suite leaders to transform structures through deep research and experience management. With 20+ years of leadership, she bridges strategy and operations. From pharmaceutical supply models and OPEX savings to higher insurance retention and doubled banking conversions. By combining human insight, AI enablement and strong change management, she reduces burnout and builds future-ready organisations.